# central Console Help

## 1 - central console reception

### a) General informations

The central console reception presents a short and parametrizable summary of GLPI contents.

In the central console reception, you can find your in progress tickets, your pending tickets, the tickets follow-up, your planning, a personal and public notes system (described below) and last events.

You can specify the number of logged events to be printed or choose to mask the last events, while specifying 0 in the setup (Administration - Setup - Display Configuration - Number of log events to be printed).

You can also choose to display (or not) in the central console, new (unassigned) tickets. See setup (Administration - Setup - Display Configuration - Show the new tickets at the login). They can be exported to PDF or SYLK format directly from the central console reception.

### a) Personal and public notes

In the central console reception, you have access to a personal and public notes system.

- The personal notes : They are visible by you only. You can plan them. Once planned, they rock to your planning table.

- The public notes : Only super-admin users can create public notes. All users who have central access can see them. You can plan them.

## 2 - Inventory Section

### a) General informations

In the inventory section, you can list and consult the hardware and software inventory park.

You are able to post or sort the hardware or software columns which appear for you, significant to visualize from the complete list.
This can be parametrized in the Administration section / Setup / Display Setup / Default search fields list (described low in the Administration section).

You can perform mutiple parameterized and sorted searches on one of the types of the inventory (computers, networks, printers, monitors, peripherals, phones, softwares and status).
You can also perform multiple criteria searches which enable you to post for example : only items having such software but not having others, with addition of global search criteria .
You have also the possibility of posting only the deleted elements to restore or purge them.
WARNING : For a date search, please only use the following syntax : [Year]-[Month]-[Day]
You can directly export the list of your materials/softwares or the result of your search with SYLK format (spreadsheet) or with PDF format in two different forms :
View PDF or SLK Export : Export only the number of lines which you defined in the drop-down list envisaged for this purpose,
All PDF or SLK Export : Export the complete list of the elements.
Explanation :

Excel, OpenOffice (Sylk)

GLPI can generate exploitable reports by type of material into a spreadsheet. To do so, GLPI is able to generate SYLK type files. This format is exploitable by many spreadsheves.

If you use a software which does not respect the standards completely (Excel for example), the too long fields will be truncated.

Moreover one system of massive modification, allows you to carry out modifications on all the materials which you selected.

Here, you can post the form containing precise information of each indexed item, or add an item.

You have then the possibility to modify or delete each item.

In each information form, mitres are available to obtain a more readable posting of the various headings. You can choose to post all the headings by clicking on the mitre "All".

The mitre "Notes" provides a free field of text to store any other information of the equipment.

The "Historical" mitre makes it possible to visualize all the modifications made to the description of the material concerned like on the internal devices (valid only for the computers).

A mitre "OCS-NG" (appearing only if you activated the OCS-NG mode of GLPI) enables you to visualize the fields which you modified after having imported your material and which will thus be locked (thus not crushed) during next synchronization with OCS-NG.

Mitres and allow you to sail within the elements of the inventory while going to the choice towards the "preceding" or "following" element according to their ID or their names.
(Parametrizable in Administration section / Setup / Display Configuration).

For the monitors, the peripherals and the phones, you can manage the elements in a unit or global management. The unit management corresponds to a traditional management (a monitor for a computer) whereas in global management, the monitor, the peripheral or the phone become a virtual global elements which will be connected to several computers.
The global management allows to limit the number of elements to be managed if those do not constitute a strategic data in the management of the data-processing park.

### b) Templates management

For some elements of the inventory you can create new elements while using templates.

These templates enable you to define the standard configuration of your park. It will be thus very simple to add a great number of nearly identical elements.

### c) Internal devices management

Since GLPI 0.5, the internal device concept has appeared. It enables you to add as many equipment as necessary in a computer.

You can manage the list of the internal devices of your park in section : Administration / Setup / Internal devices

For some types of internal devices you can specify a specific characteristic
(For example : Hard disk capacity).

Any removal or addition of an internal device will be automatically consigned in historical.

### d) Direct connections management

The direct connections make it possible to model the relation between the central processing unit of a computer and external components.

A direct connection can be done between a computer and a printer, a monitor, a external peripheric or a phone.

The connections or disconnections are done from the page of a computer or the page of the dependent material.

### e) Networking ports management

A port network makes it possible to model a network interface on a given material.

Each port has of an IP address, a mac address and a nework point to which it is connected.

The network connections are done by connecting two ports. To connect two materials together they must have a free port.

In the most common configurations the connections will be done between a networking port on a computer, a screen or a printer and a networking port on a network material (hub, switch).

At the time of the connection between two materials, informations such as the IP address and the network point are updated in order to be equals on the two ports

For each material, it is possible to add one or several ports.

You can also associate one or more VLANs (Virtual LAN) to a port. On the edition page of the port you can add and remove VLANs associated with port.

### f) Softwares management

A software can have several licences having each one an associated serial and an expiration date

The installation of a software is done from the page of a computer.

Each time a software is installed, the number of licence available for this software automatically decreases.

It's possible to install a software, even no licence is available ; a marked licence as "to buy" will be created automatically.

For a free software, it's possible to indicate the keyword "free" as serial when you add a new licence to a software. This license is installable without worrying about the number of the licenses.

It is also possible to indicate the keyword "global" as serial if you have softwares with global licence (site). You can install them on an unlimited number of workstations.

It is possible to add several licences in one time. The serial and the end date will be the same one for each licence added.

You can categorize softwares according to if they are OEM, bought or even an update of an existing software.

Financial management is carried out on the level of the licences when they are assigned. For this type of element, financial informations are only a model for the elements which you will add.

### g) Consumables and cartridges management

For these two elements, it is necessary for you initially to create a cartridge or consumable type.

Then, you can add as many elements of this type in the page of the type.

For the cartridges, a type of cartridges must be defined like compatible with printers models to be able to add the cartridges to the printers which have this model.

You can also indicate to who you give the consumables.

Financial management is carried out on the level of the elements and not type. For this type of element, financial informations are only a model for the elements which you will add.

### h) Status management

In this section you can see the status of your materials.

To change the status of a material it is enough to go in the page of this material or to use the system of massive modification.

## 3 - Assistance Section

### a) Tracking

The tracking module allows you to view the list of tickets, eventually filtered by different criteria.

You can consult :

- New assigned tickets only.
- Tickets you are assigned to only.
- Planned tickets only.
- Pending tickets only.
- Unclosed tickets.
- Closed solved tickets.
- Closed unsolved.

And more generally :

- Opened tickets (assigned or planned).
- Unclosed tickets (all tickets except closed one's).
- Closed tickets (solved or not).
- All tickets.

Two search ways are available : Basic and Advanced. Advanced mode allows to better filter your search.
You can search tickets from a description or an identified material.
You can filter the search results by categories, using the drop-down list. To add or modify a tracking category, please refer to the Setup section, under Dropdowns.

When tickets matching your search are found, GLPI prints a table showing the tickets.
Following informations are given for each ticket : status (new, assigned, planned, pending, closed, solved or not), identifying number (ID), open and closure date, priority level, author of the ticket, name of the person assigned to the ticket, associated material, category, description and tracking informations for the ticket.

The following makes you better understanding of ticket status :

New
Assigned
Planned
Pending
Closed unsolved
Closed solved

You can also show tracking informations of each ticket directly into the table, by using the drop-down list.

You can access to more detailed informations by clicking on those different elements.

To add some tracking informations to a ticket, or to modify the ticket, you just have to click on the link "infos". It shows you the complete historical of the ticket.
You can also add tracking elements through the "Add a new follow-up" tab. To modify an existing element, directly click on descriptive part of this element.

A post-only user may be allowed to add new follow-ups to a ticket.
(Administration - Configuration - General Setup - Allow post-only users to add follow-ups).

You can assign the ticket to your own technician or to an external one, from an external company with which you have a service contract.

You can define intervention times (date, duration, beginning hour) for an intervention on a specific ticket. Your planning will be automatically updated.

Here is the list of what you exactly can plan :
- Human cost : the cost of one hour hand-working,
- Fixed cost : (optional) amount that can replace the time cost (case of a fixed price contract ticket) or that is added to the human cost if there is a default price for the intervention,
- Material cost : cost of pieces required for the intervention.
All those costs are added to the total cost, which is then reported into the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) calculation : materiel cost + interventions cost (that can be consulted into material financial informations).

Once the ticket is solved, you can close it and eventually indicate the duration of the intervention by using the "Add a new follow-up" tab or directly from the summary of the ticket in the status drop-down list.

#### Closed tickets

You can reopen a previous closed ticket. You just have to select the ticket status from the drop-down list : New or Opened (assigned).

You can delete closed tickets if you don't need to keep them into the database. Just check the status box and click on "Delete" in the tickets list.
WARNING : Deleting check boxes are displayed only for closed tickets.

### b) Helpdesk

Helpdesk module is used for entering new ticket. It can be used by every user account types.

Ticket can be entered as new one or as historical (already with closed and solved status).

The priority of the problem, the incriminated material or software, intervention type, author, attribution and total intervention duration (useful for historical tickets) can be specified.

If you have activated the email tracking in GLPI setup, an additional field is available to enter the email of the claimant.

You find the entered tickets in the GLPI tracking module page.

### c) Planning

The planning makes you find easier the interventions or notes for which intervention time have been planned.

You can download this planning in ical format or perform a Webcal synchronization.

« iCalendar » is a planner exchange format for transfering appointments.

Originally it is an appointments importing/exporting format created by the Aple/AT&T/IBM/Siemens consortium and principaly used by the Mac application iCal.

http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/ical/

The idea of reusing this exchange format has been adopted by some calendar softwares, like Mozilla.

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/

### d) Statistics

GLPI offers you the possibility to view statistics based on different criteria. For each of them you have a summary table and/or a graph.

- Global statistics
- Statistics by technician
- Statistics by company
- Statistics by title (computers features)
- Statistics by user
- Statistics by category
- Statistics by priority

For each element, following informations are given :

- Total number of tickets
- Number of unsolved tickets
- Average problem solving delay
- Maximum problem solving delay
- Real average ticket solving duration
- Real maximum problem solving delay
- Minimum delay of ticket handling time
- Average delay of ticket handling time

## 4 - Management Section

### a) Contacts

You can enter all your various contacts this section and classify your contacts according to their types (configurable in Setup / Dropdowns). Thereafter you will be able to associate contacts with companies.

### b) Companies

In this section, you define the companies used in GLPI.

Contacts are associated with a company.

The companies can be associated with contracts and they define the drop-down list of third party.

To modify the drop-down list of the type of third party, go to the section the Administration section and Setup under the option Dropdowns.

WARNING : If you define a Web site for the company, do not forget the http:// at the beginning of Internet address.

### c) Contracts

In this section, you can manage all the contracts of the various types which are related to your materials. The type of possible contracts are : loan, hiring, leasing, insurance, central maintenance hardware and software, service.

You can then link the created contracts to the elements of the inventory from the page of the contract or from the inventory one.

### d) Documents

This section enables you to record electronic documents or Webs links ordered according to various headings. A document can be associated with any hardware or software of the inventory as with the questions of the base of knowledge.

For adding or modifying the list of the headings, use the Administration section and Setup under the option Dropdowns.

The types of documents authorized in GLPI (according to their extension) are defined in Administration / Setup / Document Type.

## 5 - Tools Section

### a) Reservations

This section shows the materials you can reserve and permits user to reserve those materials.

You can add coments to materials than can be reserved. To do so, click on "Modify the commment" button.

To allow users to reserve a material, you just need to go on its description page and to click on "Authorize loan" link.

For the user with "Helpdesk" capability, a section "Material reservation" is available. They also can make a material reservation for a determined (by user) duration.

### b) Knowledge database

Knowledge database has two central objectives : First one is to centralize internal knowledges for the different technicians. Second one is to give users informations allowing them to solve some simple problems (public FAQ).

Only public FAQ entries can be consulted by users. Other entries can be consult only in the central console by technicians.

You can create categories and subcategories in order to better organize the database entries (you can do it form the Administration / Setup / Dropdowns). It is also simple to find needed informations to solve the problems.

You can use shortcuts for the shapping.

Following tags change text appearence :
[b]Bold text[/b] makes Bold text
[u]Underligned text[/u] makes Underline text
[s]Crossed-out text[/s] makes Crossed-out text
[i]Italic text[/i] makes Italic text
[color=#FF0000]Red text[/color] makes Red text
[g]Title[/g] makes Title
[c]Centered text[/c] makes

Centered text

To create link to an other documents or an email, use the following tags :
http://glpi-project.org makes http://glpi-project.org
[email]myname@mydocentral.com[/email] makes myname@mydocentral.com
[email=myname@mydocentral.com]My email addressl[/email] makes My email address

If you want to add some source code, use the tag CODE. This tag is rules over all other tags. If you use other tags into a CODE tag, they will be ignored.

[code]Here is a sample code.[/code]
produces that output :

Code:
    Here is a sample code.

### c) Reports

GLPI can generate differents reports :

- Default report :

  Referenced materials and softwares.

- Material under external services contract :

  It is possible to obtain a detailed status for each material and by date of purchase. Multiple selection is available.

- Annual report :

  Materials report on one or more years. Multiple selection is available.

- Network report :

  Informations about your network by places, switches, networking sockets.

- Sales informations report :

  Summary of sales informations for computers, printers, network materials, screens and peripherals.

- Other sales informations report :

  Summary of sales informations for printer cartridges, software licences and consumables.

### d) OCSNG

This section of Tools menu is available only when you have activated the OCSNG module in GLPI's general configuration (Administration - Setup - General Setup - Activate OCSNG mode).

One it is configured, you can import materials from OCSNG, synchronize already imported materials with an OCSNG updated materials or to link a material created with GLPI and listed into OCSNG.

This software is available on this web site : OCS Intenvory NG.

## 6 - Plugins Section

On http://glpi-project.org, you can download plugins to extend the functionalities of GLPI. Once copied in the repertory plugins, GLPI will post automatically new section where will be indexed different the plugins that you wish to use.

## 7 - Administration Section

### a) Users management

This part works exactly in the same way that the elements of the inventory. You can add, modify, remove users or seek and export the list of the users.
You can also export the users list with PDF or SYLK format.

You can also desactivate users if you want.
On the level of the rights : You have the choice with 4 type of rights :
- Super-Admin : Access to all the central console of GLPI and to the parameters settings of the application.
- Admin : Access to all the central console of GLPI and to modification Except´ setup.
- Normal : Access to all the central console of GLPI - read only.
- Post-only : Access to Helpdesk section of GLPI (New ticket / Tickets follow-up / Reservation and public FAQ.
You can grant the right to a user to assign tickets.

### b) Setup

#### i) Dropdowns

You can define in this zone the data posted in the drop-down lists.

Once you have selected the list to modify, you can add of the elements, modify them and remove them.

Select a label in the dropdown list and use the arrow to modify its name or the associated comment.

The comment that you entered will be visible since the majority of the forms of glpi. It is enough for you just to fly over the icon associated with the drop-down list to reveal it.
WARNING : If you remove elements used then you will have to make a choice between modifying the existing entries or to put them at NULL.

#### ii) Internal devices

In this zone you can entirely modify the internal devices which you add to your computers.

#### iii) Document Type

In this section, you can add or modify the types of authorized documents with being managed by GLPI. Required informations are :
- The name of the type of document.
- Extension example : .txt
- The name of the file for the icon of the desired document. Place the files of icons in the directory pics/icones under the tree structure of GLPI.
- Type MIME is required.
- Authorization of downloading of this type of file (yes or no).
You can export the list of documents type with SYLK or PDF format.

#### iv) External links

In this section you can define links towards external applications adapted to the elements of the inventory.

You can use particular tags so that they are replaced by the values of the element.
Valid tags are : [ID], [NAME], [LOCATION], [LOCATIONID], [IP], [MAC], [NETWORK], [DOcentral].

Each link can be associated one or more types of materials.
Example :

- A http link :
You create an external link having for name: http://[IP ] that you assign to your networking material.

- A RDP link :

For the computers remote access, you can create an external link named access.rdp and you enter the "File content" while inserting there the contents of a standard file RDP and by replacing the IP / Name / Docentral fields by standard TAGS [ IP ], [ NAME ], [ DOcentral ].

#### v) OCSNG Mode

Here is the section where you configure OCSNG mode.

It gathers information of connection to OCSNG database, the options of importation and the fields of general informations and the internal devices that you to wish to import/synchronize.

With regard to the options of importation, you can limit the importation to tags (label) filled beforehand in OCSNG. You can also define a default status which you entered in Dropdowns beforehand (Administration - Setup - Dropdowns - Item Status).

#### vi) General setup

The general configuration of the application makes it possible to define some parameters :
- The installation path.
WARNING : This path is detected automatically at the time of the installation or of the update, you should not need to modify it.
- The default language with new users creation.
- The log level.
- The number of events to be posted corresponds to the number of lines of log present on the after login central page.
- The time of conservation of the logs.
WARNING : If you keep them a long time your table can contain lots of data.
- Automated assignment the tickets to the technical person in charge if he exists.
- Beginning of fiscal year : used for all the management of depreciation.
- Allow anonymous tracking post (helpdesk.html) : activate or not the anonymous requests for interventions from the helpdesk.html file.
- Default threshold for cartridge and consumable count : Default value modifiable for each type.
- Check for upgrade : allows to parametrize the automatic checking of updates weekly, monthly, or to desactivate the checking.

- Automated user of an external authentification source addition : allows to authorize the authentification starting from external source or to desactivate it.

- Allow post-only users to add follow-ups : authorize post-only users to adding follow-ups to tickets with helpdesk.

- Use GLPI in Mode Normal / Debug / Translation : The normal mode corresponds to a traditional use of GLPI. The debug mode is addressed to the developers and to the testers for debugging and the translation mode concerns the translators and makes it possible to visualize all the entries of the dictionary.

#### vii) Display Configuration

The configuration of application display makes it possible to parametrize some parameters for posting and searching :

- Number of log events to be printed : numbers log to display on the reception page of the central console. (0 = no logs)
- Show the interventions at the login : for viewing (or not) the active interventions on the reception page of the central.
- Number of elements to print by page (valid for all the lists of elements posted - Tracking, computers...).
- Maximum number of characters for each elements of the list : reduce the size of the character strings to show in order to obtain a readable posting.
- Limit of display of planning : to restrict the display at the effective working day.
- Priority colors.
- Date Format : permit to parametrize the display date.
(YYYY-MM-DD ou DD-MM-YYYY).
WARNING : Even if you choose the format of the dates in form DD-MM-YYYY, at the time of a research by date, it is necessary to use syntax [Year]-[Month]-[Day].

- Authorize the anonymous view of the FAQ : allows or not the consultation of the FAQ for the anonymous users (without preliminary authentification).

- Maximum number of characters to view in select box : allows to limit the number of character posted in the drop-down lists.

- Use Ajax : allows to activate or not the new system AJAX of GLPI (management of research, fields texts).
- Autocompletion of text fields with Ajax : if "Use AJAX" is activated, this makes possible to visualize -at the time of typing of characters in the text area- the already existing elements in the database, thanks to a list of results envisaged for this purpose.
- Ajax Wildcard : character used for research of the type AJAX. Allows to list all the elements.
- Ajax - Maximum number of items viewed : limit the number of elements displayed in the lists of results (except in the event of use of the joker).
- Do not use Ajax if the number of items is less than (0=never) : desactivate AJAX for research of which the number of elements posted in the list of result is lower than this value.
- Text of the login page : text displayed at the time of the login with GLPI.
- Show GLPI ID : allows to post the internal numbers of identification of each material/software.
- Use for Next/Prev items : allows to parametrize the and mitres allowing you to sail within the elements of the inventory according to their ID or their name.

#### viii) Default search fields list

It's in this section which you will be able to parametrize the columns that you want to post for each type of material/software.
You have the possibility of adding, of removing, of ordering the posted columns.

#### ix) Email follow-up

This section enables you to activate the follow-up of the interventions by email. If you activate this functionality, emails will then be sent at the creation of a new intervention, during the modification of the ticket (for example : assignment of a category), with the addition of each follow-up and the closing of the interventions.
- You can enter the email address of the administrator and the signature added to each email. You can add a link to the ticket in the emails sent by specifying the URL of the base which will be used.
- The other options enable you to limit the emails sending process. For each type of users, you can allow the sending while the creation of an intervention, the update of the ticket in itself, the follow-up addition and enclose intervention.
- The groups defined : the administrator, all users of the type ' admin' or ' normal ', the person in charge of the task and the caller of the intervention.
- The caller will not receive an email if he haven't activated the follow-up by email at the time of his request.

You can also define email sending for the reservations.

#### x) External authentification

The external authentification enables you to use alternative sources of authentification. Thus it avoids you having to add all the users manually.

In order to be able to use one of these modes of authentification, you first must activate the corresponding extensions in your PHP configuration.

The first solution is to use an email server :
- You must define in the first part the server to be used. To define it correctly defer to the link php.net who provides many examples.
The various parameters which you will choose can give you chains of connection of this type :
- {localhost:110/pop3},
- {localhost:993/imap/ssl},
- {localhost:995/pop3/ssl/novalidate-cert}...

- The second parameter defines the email docentral which will be automatically used to fill the email addresses of the new users. If the user is called toto, his address will be then toto@docentral_email.

The second solution is the usage of a LDAP or an Active Directory server. For this configuration, please refer to corresponding documentation present on the Web site of GLPI.

The third solution is the use of a CAS server. Once it is configured, you can always connect with a local user while adding ?noCAS=1 to your URL.

#### xi) Check if a new version is available

Checks the presence of updates on the web http://glpi-project.org and posting on the central console in the event of new update available.

### c) Settings

This section enables you to change your password, to define the default order to use in the posting of the tickets and to define the language with which the interface is posted.

### d) Data (Dump/Restore)

This section enables you to carry out backups of the database ("Dump SQL").

You can also remove the backup files, restore them or download the files.

You can also generate a backup with format XML of the database . ("Dump XML").

### d) Logs

This section enables you to view and sort the historical of the logs. The degree and the conservation of the logs can be parametered in setup of GLPI.